Monday, June 18, 2012

Rethinking my projects

I am without anything to work on knitting-wise. And I am reconsidering the summer shawl projects. Personally, I think they may be cursed. Every single time I knit a summer shawl, it turns out I do so while one of us is in the hospital or emergency room.

Case in point, while I was knitting the Cap Shawl, Mr. Larger Than Life had an emergency embolectomy of the right arm. Last year, I was finishing up my Pretty as a Peacock Shawl while he had emergency surgery for colon cancer and we all know how that turned out.

This year, I finished binding off my Cameo shawl while my husband lay on a gurney in the hallway of a busy and freezing cold emergency room. Really? The middle of the damned hallway where everyone who passed by could look at his swollen face and bleeding chin? Talk about HIPPA violations galore! As soon as I pulled the end through the last stitch of my knitting, I promptly put the shawl on my shoulders--with about 20 dangling unwoven ends and all. At that point, who cares? It was so cold in there that I didn't think it mattered how it looked. It came in handy.

While the shawl is beautiful, since Friday, I've grown to resent it for being a part of this whole traumatic event. It took everything I had in me yesterday to weave in those ends and get it blocked.

Today we see the oral surgeon in his office to discuss which procedure is best to fix the fractured mandible. Open reduction or closed? I have been polishing my blending/smoothie skills and considering which juicer would be best to buy to get us through the next 6 weeks of a liquid diet without losing nutrition along the way. My husband must have been starving last night to eat the pureed penne pasta I cooked, but eat it he did. He's much more stoic and resilient than me.

The surgical resident we saw in the ER finally called yesterday with a plan to fix the fracture. He told us to come down to the dental clinic in downtown Detroit where they would fix this problem. This is the U of D dental clinic where they do a lot of work for the indigent population and do their own anesthesia. With trepidation, I agreed and immediately began having second, third and fourth thoughts. Uh-uh. I called our dentist who said, "uh-uh," too. We'll be seeing Rachel's oral surgeon later this morning. We know him. He was good. He has hospital privileges for surgery and he is not a resident. If he needs conscious sedation, or even general anesthesia, he will be tended to by an anesthesiologist who has had more than 5 months of training in his/her specialty and has more than pulse oximetry to analyze how my husband is doing while anesthetized.

Stoney modeling the now complete Cameo Shawl.

At least it's a plan. As for the knitting? Maybe socks would be a good carry along project.Lismore Cable Socks. It's Stephanie's pattern.

Wish us luck, and if you have a juicer you can recommend, I'd like to hear about your preferences.

I really love that shawl. I am sending prayers and hugs your way for you and your husband. I checked into blenders not long ago because we blend a lot. I think I had decided on the Ninja but haven't bought one yet. I may change my mind though and get one I saw at Costco that blends and processes. Can't remember what type it was though. Well.....I am no help about blenders.

Crumbs Ruth what a time you're having. Hope it all goes well for you both.

I'm into making shawls too, seems to be an obsession. I always associate what was happening when I was knitting the garment too. Sometimes I even remember which films I watched.

I splurged on a Vita Mix after I saw it at Costco. An expensive buy I splurged out on when my husband had an oesophagectomy (think that's what it was) but it is fantastic for fruit smoothies you can hide all kinds of veg in them and it makes wonderful soups too.

Your shawl is gorgeous Rudee!I hope you'll get to like it better, but I do understand that feeling, like previous commenters.I have a Philips blender and it's fine, but if you already have a KitchenAid, then I'd agree with Stephanie's son as it would be less on your worktop.Hope all goes really well from now...

I didn't know about hubby's misfortune. Can't blame you about working on a shawl. Just do anything to keep your hands busy with no plan in sight. Wishing him the best for his surgery. Prayers going up.QMM